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A Message About Egypt

46 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the nations:

2 Concerning Egypt:

This is the message against the army of Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt, which was defeated at Carchemish on the Euphrates River by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

3 “Prepare your shields, both large and small,and march out for battle!4 Harness the horses,mount the steeds!Take your positionswith helmets on!Polish your spears,put on your armor!5 What do I see?They are terrified,they are retreating,their warriors are defeated.They flee in hastewithout looking back,and there is terror on every side,”declares the Lord.6 “The swift cannot fleenor the strong escape.In the north by the River Euphratesthey stumble and fall.

7 “Who is this that rises like the Nile,like rivers of surging waters?8 Egypt rises like the Nile,like rivers of surging waters.She says, ‘I will rise and cover the earth;I will destroy cities and their people.’9 Charge, you horses!Drive furiously, you charioteers!March on, you warriors—men of Cush[a] and Put who carry shields,men of Lydia who draw the bow.10 But that day belongs to the Lord, the Lord Almighty—a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes.The sword will devour till it is satisfied,till it has quenched its thirst with blood.For the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will offer sacrificein the land of the north by the River Euphrates.

11 “Go up to Gilead and get balm,Virgin Daughter Egypt.But you try many medicines in vain;there is no healing for you.12 The nations will hear of your shame;your cries will fill the earth.One warrior will stumble over another;both will fall down together.”

13 This is the message the Lord spoke to Jeremiah the prophet about the coming of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to attack Egypt:

14 “Announce this in Egypt, and proclaim it in Migdol;proclaim it also in Memphis and Tahpanhes:‘Take your positions and get ready,for the sword devours those around you.’15 Why will your warriors be laid low?They cannot stand, for the Lord will push them down.16 They will stumble repeatedly;they will fall over each other.They will say, ‘Get up, let us go backto our own people and our native lands,away from the sword of the oppressor.’17 There they will exclaim,‘Pharaoh king of Egypt is only a loud noise;he has missed his opportunity.’

18 “As surely as I live,” declares the King,whose name is the Lord Almighty,“one will come who is like Tabor among the mountains,like Carmel by the sea.19 Pack your belongings for exile,you who live in Egypt,for Memphis will be laid wasteand lie in ruins without inhabitant.

20 “Egypt is a beautiful heifer,but a gadfly is comingagainst her from the north.21 The mercenaries in her ranksare like fattened calves.They too will turn and flee together,they will not stand their ground,for the day of disaster is coming upon them,the time for them to be punished.22 Egypt will hiss like a fleeing serpentas the enemy advances in force;they will come against her with axes,like men who cut down trees.23 They will chop down her forest,”declares the Lord,“dense though it be.They are more numerous than locusts,they cannot be counted.24 Daughter Egypt will be put to shame,given into the hands of the people of the north.”

25 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to bring punishment on Amon god of Thebes, on Pharaoh, on Egypt and her gods and her kings, and on those who rely on Pharaoh.26 I will give them into the hands of those who want to kill them—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his officers. Later, however, Egypt will be inhabited as in times past,” declares the Lord.

27 “Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant;do not be dismayed, Israel.I will surely save you out of a distant place,your descendants from the land of their exile.Jacob will again have peace and security,and no one will make him afraid.28 Do not be afraid, Jacob my servant,for I am with you,” declares the Lord.“Though I completely destroy all the nationsamong which I scatter you,I will not completely destroy you.I will discipline you but only in due measure;I will not let you go entirely unpunished.”

A Message About the Philistines

47 This is the word of the Lord that came to Jeremiah the prophet concerning the Philistines before Pharaoh attacked Gaza:

2 This is what the Lord says:

“See how the waters are rising in the north;they will become an overflowing torrent.They will overflow the land and everything in it,the towns and those who live in them.The people will cry out;all who dwell in the land will wail3 at the sound of the hooves of galloping steeds,at the noise of enemy chariotsand the rumble of their wheels.Parents will not turn to help their children;their hands will hang limp.4 For the day has cometo destroy all the Philistinesand to remove all survivorswho could help Tyre and Sidon.The Lord is about to destroy the Philistines,the remnant from the coasts of Caphtor.[b]5 Gaza will shave her head in mourning;Ashkelon will be silenced.You remnant on the plain,how long will you cut yourselves?

6 “‘Alas, sword of the Lord,how long till you rest?Return to your sheath;cease and be still.’7 But how can it restwhen the Lord has commanded it,when he has ordered itto attack Ashkelon and the coast?”

6 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death,[a] and of faith in God,2 instruction about cleansing rites,[b] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.3 And God permitting, we will do so.

4 It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,5 who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age6 and who have fallen[c] away, to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.7 Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.8 But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned.

9 Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are convinced of better things in your case—the things that have to do with salvation.10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized.12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

The Certainty of God’s Promise

13 When God made his promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself,14 saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”[d]15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

16 People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.17 Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.